


Keep your Friends Close

by BluSail



Series: Death is a shield and Life a sword [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hop is EVERYONE's baby brother now, Leon doesn't actually apppear but he's mentioned alot, teen cus BAILEY says one (1) cuss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21729886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluSail/pseuds/BluSail
Summary: Hop is ok with being alone.He's got two new friends, who inevitably crash and burn comparing themselves to Leon.
Relationships: Hop & Raihan, Hop & Sonia, Implied Raihan/Leon
Series: Death is a shield and Life a sword [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559467
Comments: 6
Kudos: 171





	Keep your Friends Close

**Author's Note:**

> You don't NEED to have read the previous work, but it might help set up why Hop is so attached to Leon and who Bailey is. Just know that this is during the time Leon first left to win the Championship.

After their first call, Leon makes it a habit to message Hop, and he loves every second.

Most were short messages, asking how Hop was doing. Hop's favorites were the photos. Some include Leon’s new friend, Raihan, dramatically stirring curry or Sonia fishing. (His favorite is a shaky video Raihan took with them running away from a Rhyhorn.) Even though the boy intimidated Hop at first, Leon's fondness for Raihan made Hop like him as well. And for once, the feeling seemed mutual, as Raihan offered to teach him to take pictures when he came by to visit.

Hop, at Leon and Raihan's prompting, sent some of his own photos, his best being a wooloo that slept on their doorstep. Hop would sit at the kitchen table, scrolling through the photos smiling ear to ear. Leon couldn't call that much, considering he’s on the road, but Hop has learned to live without it.

After all, Leon had been right, even if he didn’t know it at the time. Hop and his mother now spend plenty of time cheering on Leon from their living room. Today is different though, as Leon’s finally reaching the end of the finals. Leon versus Raihan. Hop watches, pacing beside the couch while his mom shovels popcorn into her mouth.

Charizard flies through the air, it's effortlessly dodging leave Hop gasping. Lee himself is grinning, barely heeding the danger of as he calls out.

One more move, one more.

Hop holds his breath.

“He’s done it! 10 years old, Leon has won! All that’s left for him is to fight the Champion!” They both scream, and Hop’s mother jumps up from the couch, the popcorn scattering on the ground

“Look at my boy! My son!” They’re laughing and cheering, and Hop squeals when his mom picks him up and twirls him around the room. As they spin, Hop catches moments of Raihan and Leon shaking hands in the middle.

Raihan’s head is bowed, but he’s smiling, so Hop lets his inkling of worry for Raihan slip away.

* * *

Hop has more or less gotten used to being alone. He doesn’t understand why and blames most of it on Bailey. It’s not like he gets pushed around or name called, but there's a hesitance to speaking to him now. So Hop stops playing with kids that never toss the ball to him, or sit at tables where no one talks to him. Now, the librarian gives him various picture books and flashcards. He's rather grumpy, so Hop feels a sort of giddiness that the man says he's a good kid.

The recess bell rings, and most of the kids pile out to the playground. The teacher gives him a small wave as he leaves, and Hop jumps onto each of the brown titles down to the library.

“Hop!”

He froze up, shoulders hunched as he looked up at Bailey. She had only gotten taller and even got away with smuggling her Sizzlipede in her scarf. She looked down at him with bored eyes, before kicking a broken pencil on the ground.

“Is your brother coming back after the finals?”

Hop hesitated before nodding.

“Do you think you can get him to sign my league card?” Hop scuffed his shoe against the tile before nodding again. Bailey smiled, pulled out a card case, and slipped out the first one in it.

As she started to hand it over, she grimaced and yanked it back. “Actually, I’ll just ask him myself. You know if your mom’s gonna throw some party when he gets back?”

Hop almost nodded, before realizing he doesn’t know. He scrunched up his face, trying to remember, then Bailey loomed closer. Hop frowned, shrinking back.

“Stop making weird faces, just nod or some- some shit.”

Hop gasped. “You can’t say that!”

“Who ya gonna tell, the teachers? They don’t care, AND you don’t have friends.”

“Yeah, he does.”

They both turned, and Hop grinned before he ran up to wrap his arms around Sonia’s legs. She patted his head, before looking back to Bailey. She looked unfazed, standing on the tips of her toes but Sonia managed at least a whole inch over her. Hop laughed and Sonia quirked an eyebrow at her.

Bailey huffed, before flipping a few pages in, yanking a card out and throwing it to the ground. As she walked away, Bailey muttered, “You didn’t even make it to semi-finals.”

Hop felt Sonia flinch, and he looked up, patting at her arm. The dark look on her face blinked away, and she smiled down at him.

“When’d you get back?” Hop asked, backing away. Sonia shrugged, scratching the back of her head.

“About a week ago. Not surprised Leon didn’t mention that I quit. Where were you going?”

Hop pointed down the hall. “Library.”

Sonia laughed, turning and walking down. “I’ll come with! Leon never mentioned you were bookish!”

Hop started to follow, stopped, and looking down at Sonia’s League card on the floor. Hop smiled, before carefully placing it in his pocket, and racing up to walk next to Sonia.

* * *

“Ghost?”

Sonia giggled. “Nope! Fairy.”

Hop groaned, before letting Sonia shuffle it back inside. Even after weeks of using the cards, Hop had little improvement in the type match-ups. Not to mention the answer key was stolen years ago. Now only the librarian could correct him, and only when they weren’t cranky. Sonia was sitting in front of him, reading a magazine and holding the cards out for him. Hop watched in amazement as she read and corrected him when he got it wrong.

Hop hummed, running his fingers along his coat lining. “You’re like Lee. You know everything.”

Sonia blushed, tapping the top of his head with the card. “Flattery won’t get your types right, kid.”

Sonia stilled, placing a finger to her lips and looking side to side. Hop hadn’t heard anything, but he still did the same thing. Sonia nodded, before leaning forward. “Between you and me... your brother is an airhead.”

Hop giggled, falling back while Sonia held a hand against her mouth, barely quieter than him. “Shh! Shh, we’ll get kicked out!”

Hop drummed on the table in front of him, still giggling. “Don’t worry! Nobody comes here during recess!”

Sonia gave him a strange look, before crossing her arms and leaning against the table. “So...you’re all alone here?”

Hop crossed his arms, before recrossing the same way as Sonia and smiled. “You’re here!”

“What about yesterday?”

“...Sometimes, the other kids ask me about Lee.”

Sonia sighed, resting her chin on her arms.

“I know how that feels.”

Hop couldn’t reach that far up the table yet, so he pulled his legs up under him before he could do similar. Sonia didn’t say anything, before biting her lips, looking back at him.

“You miss him?”

“Yeah,” Hop answered immediately. “I don’t say so to Lee though, he gets sad.”

Sonia nodded, face scrunching up. “And he’s having so much fun right now, huh? He’s got a lot of new friends like Raihan and Piers.”

“Piers?”

Sonia pulled out her phone and swiped through it. She turned it over to Hop, showing a lanky boy, even taller than Raihan. ‘Whoa! He’s tall!”

Sonia chuckled, nodding. She moved to the next few pictures, some with Sonia in them but most of the others. Hop smiled, holding the phone in his hands, tilting his head at a picture of Raihan leaning into Leon. Leon smiling, but his face looked all red.

“Sonia, Sonia, why’s Lee-” He stopped, looking at Sonia burying her face into her arms. Her shoulders were shaking, and little sound.

Hop frowned, tapping her arms. “Sonia?”

When she didn’t respond, Hop scooted out of the chair, crawling under the table to stand next to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and with no reaction, began rubbing her back.

She hiccuped, her back shaking as he leaned into her.

“It’s ok, I’m here.”

Sonia grips her hair, bawling.

“If- If I’d be any better, I’d still be with them. But I couldn’t do it! Everything was just- I wanted to come home, and- All anyone came up to me for, every stupid time was about anyone BUT me!”

Her voice was muffled as she cried, and Hop nodded, feeling his lips get wobbly but held it in. Hop closed his eyes, leaning into her as she continued to sob.

The bell rang, and Sonia coughed, rubbing her red eyes. A soft thud across from them and Hop opened his eyes. The librarian solemnly nodding and left back to his desk.

“God. I’m so pathetic, I shouldn’t be asking you for comfort, you’re just a kid.” Hop frowned. He didn’t feel he could say anything that could help, and somehow that felt worst. She patted her cheeks, and stood up, gathering her things.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to your class, alright?” Hop frowned, crossing his arms, before gasping.

“Not yet!” Sonia looked at him with confusion, before he pulled out Bailey’s card. He thrust it into her hands, gleaming up at her. She looked at it with confusion, turning it over in her hands.

“What-?” Hop dug around in his backpack before pulling out a marker. She quirked an eyebrow at him, before signing it on the table and handing it back to him. Hop smiled, reaching over and holding her hand as he waved it in the air.

“When Leon comes back, I won’t ask for ANY signature cus that’s weird, and he’s my brother and that's who everyone's gonna ask. Now though, I won’t ask Raihan or Piers or even ANY of the gym leaders because this is gonna be MY favorite!”

Sonia stared at mouth gapping, before laughing, and swinging their hooked hands. “Is that so? You gonna be my biggest fan?”

"Yeah!"

She wiped her cheeks one more time and smiling at him. "Thank you. It's totally ok with me if you want any more though. Nessa is undeniable TOO cool for you to NOT ask for a signature."

Her eyes were still red, but her smile looked lighter. So Hop was content that neither of them spent recess alone.

* * *

Hop is sitting at home, surrounded by everyone he’s ever met when Leon makes history.

When Hop brings up the idea of a party for Leon, his Mom agrees, even for the neighborhood to watch Leon’s match together. Now Hop is bouncing in the middle of the couch, chattering about the Gym Challenge. He didn’t know if any of the people around him were listening, Hop was too wrapped up in Leon’s rematches to care.

Amidst it all, Hop felt too hot, and despite his love for the middle seat, he decides to leave for air. He pushes himself off, squeezing through the legs for the front door.

"Oh! Hop, Leon's friend is texting you!" Hop's head snaps up, smiling wide as his mom hands him her phone. He quickly swipes the call button, walking outside by the fence. After two rings, it answers.

"Oh, uh, hey!" Raihan's voice isn't very clear, static and the thrum of noise in the background. There's no video, so Hop holds the phone to his mouth.

"Hi, Raihan!" Hop shouts since people are being loud around him too.

Raihan laughs, and sighs. "Man, kid, you sound even more hyped than the stadium."

"Is that where you are?"

Raihan hums. "Yep. I was just wanted to know if you and Sonia are watching together."

Hop looks out, seeing the barbeque lit up. "Everyone from everywhere is here!"

"Oh? Well, nice to know you're partying hard in your sleepy corner."

Hop doesn't know what a sleepy corner is and decides not to ask. Older people tease him when he doesn't know words, and no matter how cool Raihan was, that included him.

"Hey, Raihan?"

"Hm?"

"Are you still gonna visit?"

"What? Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"Cus you lost."

"..."

Hop spins around, looking up at the sky. After a minute, Hop frowns.

"Raihan?"

"Huh?"

Hop wonders away towards the corner, whispering. "Raihan, are you sad? Cus Sonia was sad too, it's alright, I'm here."

Raihan chuckles, and the stadium roars behind him. "You know, your brother's amazing."

"Yep!"

"...I feel like I should have won, but..."

Hop waits, kneeling and picking at the grass. Raihan sighs.

"I should have won. But I didn't."

Hop wonders why Raihan sounds so sure when Hop always felt Leon could never lose. He wants to ask, but he doesn't know how to ask nicely, especially since he still wanted Raihan and Leon to be friends. So he doesn't.

"Hey, the match is starting."

"OH!"

Hop jumps up, running inside, before catching the tiniest static voice.

"You think Leon still wants me around?"

Hop swings open the door and frown. "Yeah, duh!"

The line goes dead before it gets through.

* * *

Hop saw Sonia come in with her Grandmother but lost track of them after they disappeared into the sea of adults. Most of Hop’s classmates were there too, and not unexpectedly, ignored Hop in favor of the TV or food. Hop’s mom had come over with a plate of food, placing an extra cookie and telling him he could only have two. This was the third time someone said that, with Sonia and the librarian each giving him one more.

Hop’s never felt more alive.

Everyone crowded around the TV, watching the counter go down. Hop felt a tap on his head, and he glanced up, smiling up at Sonia before looking back at the TV.

"Hey, Sonia? Can I see your pictures?"

"Hm? uh, sure but don't look through the blue folders."

After scanning through them, Hop finds the one with Raihan and Leon sitting together. He hands it back to her.

"Can you send that one to Raihan?" Sonia places a hand over her mouth, giggling.

"I totally forgot to send this! Arceus, they're so oblivious."

Hop didn't know what oblivious meant but smiled, watching the screen. 

“It’s starting!” He yelled, and the excitement around him grew. In the stadium, Leon stood in the field, across the champion towering over him.

Leon looked determined, his hair tied back and tossing a Pokeball into the air.

Hop watched him still, closing his eyes.

Hop held his breath.

Leon breathing out.

Hop sighed.

Leon’s eyes opened And it began.

Everything descended into chaos. Hop cheered loudly with everyone else, focusing entirely on Leon’s commands. He didn’t hesitate, distinct and for every hit he received he dealt out five more.

He wasn’t even half-way through the battle and Hop knew.

He wanted to stand across from him on that Stadium.

Hop remembered Sonia, crying from being left behind. Raihan, so sure of a dream and so unsure of himself. Yet Hop's desire outweighed every fear and sadness he felt with them.

Hop needed to face Leon in front of the world.

and he wanted to win.

**Author's Note:**

> Man the response to the last fic was really heartwarming!! 
> 
> I do wanna point out that I don't actually have a plot in mind writing these, they're more of fluff pieces to accompany canon.
> 
> ((if you find any typos don't be afraid to point them out, I didn't edit this much.))
> 
> thank you for reading regardless <3


End file.
